


On the Identification and Proper Education of Clay-Hearted Youth

by Meatball42



Category: Emelan - Tamora Pierce, PIERCE Tamora - Works
Genre: Gen, Government, Magic-Users, Meta, pottery, sociology - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-08
Updated: 2017-04-08
Packaged: 2018-10-13 12:08:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10513470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meatball42/pseuds/Meatball42
Summary: “Qalai is a land rich both in natural resources and in the enduring spirit of her people. Arghun Erdene, the Appointed Administrator of Commerce, on behalf of House Erdene, has commissioned this series of pamphlets in the year 1045 KF to instruct respectable village heads in the proper treatment of heart-spirited youth.”





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [minnabird](https://archiveofourown.org/users/minnabird/gifts).



> The regulation and licensure of magic in the Emelan (and Tortall) books interested me even back when I first read them at age ~12. What made Lark and Rosethorn qualified to teach four youngsters with such disparate gifts? This story does not answer that question, but it does explore the issue of magic as a social reality and how it must be treated by governing bodies. As with everything lately, concepts of state control and social influence seeped in, and so there is some subtle underlying plot, but only if you care about things like social control and macrosociology and the like. If you don’t, then I hope you enjoy this meta about ambient pottery mages in Qalai ([that country there](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/0a/ae/49/0aae49e5c4468747eb24110885e27045.jpg))!

~ ~ * ~ ~

 

On the Identification and Proper Education of Clay-Hearted Youth

 

_Those young men and women who have been blessed by the gods with a connection to nature are some of the most valuable human resources in the land!_

 

“Qalai is rich both in natural resources and in the enduring spirit of her people. Arghun Erdene, the Appointed Administrator of Commerce, on behalf of House Erdene, has commissioned this series of pamphlets in the year 1045 KF to instruct respectable village heads in the proper treatment of heart-spirited youth.”

 

**Clay-Hearted Youth**

Among the most common of the heart-spirit gifts, clay-hearted youth feel an affinity to clay and sometimes other aspects of the earth. Different from stone-hearted spirits, clay-hearted youth interact with their element through physical manipulation, dilution, purification, and shaping. Rarely will a clay-heart practitioner lay a spell on their material, or infuse it with power, as do those who work with gems. While there are hand-spirit practitioners who may work with clay, this type of spirit-work involves laying spells or charms upon a completed artifact, rather than creating or shaping an artifact.

Although clay-hearted youths are relatively numerous, a spirit-seer must look closely to identify their affinity. Many spirit-seers inspect only the hands of the youths in the villages they visit, a practice denounced by House Erdene. This oversight ignores those gifted with natural affinities in favor of those whose spirit manifests without a natural catalyst. In the more sophisticated cities such as Mangaldov and Tsonsengei, spirit-seers have become adept at identifying heart-spirited youth and discovering in which sphere their blessings live.

As House Erdene leads Qalai to open its borders to other lands, many changes will take place within. Support for the training and employment of the clay-hearted will increase, as Qalaisi craftsmanship will be desired by nations both near and far. These honorable opportunities begin with the local spirit practitioner, who has been granted the celestial responsibility of guiding young heart-spirits to the fullest strength of their affinity.  


**Phase of Strength**

The clay-hearted child, once identified, must be tested for their strengths. With few exceptions, the clay-hearted tend toward the phase of earth, or the phase of fire. Earth-phase practitioners find themselves in mines and refineries, identifying raw clay deposits in the earth and purifying them for use by various guilds. Clay can be utilized for the construction of buildings and roadways, for the making of many everyday artifacts, and for artisanal purposes. Earth-phase practitioners work with clay to best prepare the material for its proper use.

Fire-phase practitioners are attuned to the desire of clay to be molded, shaped, and fired. Craftsmen of pottery, statues, and decorative ceramics are largely fire-phase individuals.

Identifying the phase of strength of a young heart-spirit is vital to determine the style of teaching. Earth-phase individuals are often better suited to meditation and outdoor practice, while fire-phase students produce better work after experimentation and discussion with their teachers.  


**Testing methods**

The classic identifying test for affinity is performed in a lake or a mirror. This practice is derived from the tendency of hand-spirit practitioners to be water-phase or air-phase. For a clay-hearted student, such testing may be unreliable. House Erdene recommends the use of a carefully bespelled glaze pot, or a flat ceramic plate upon which a clear glaze has been fired. At all times during testing, a protective circle should be utilized. In the absence of mistakes in the teacher’s spell, or maladaptations in the youth’s affinity, images in the glaze will clearly instruct as to the student’s phase and the sphere of their affinity.  


**Education and Livelihood**

The blessing of the gods is a gift upon a young man or a woman, but such gifts often come with some small pains. Although the child’s affinity has been identified, it is rare that a qualified teacher lives in the immediate area of the child’s ancestral home. In the happy circumstance that a teacher within the youth’s phase resides nearby, the teacher and students may enter into an apprenticeship with the permission of the youth’s family. More often, however, there is no such support available. It is known that the gods do not bestow their gifts to watch them go unused; a spirited youth without training is a danger to the displeasure of the gods, who may strike at them and others around them.

When the circumstance arises that training must be sought outside the village, it is the fate of the spirited youth to seek out a teacher. The tradition of wandering spirit students is honored by the gods and the people of Qalai, but under the worst circumstances, such students may fall prey to those who would exploit their gifts. House Erdene becries the fate of these youths, whose freedom and honor may be taken from their through various deplorable means.

Upon his assumption of the role of Head of House Qalai, the Blessed Qutlugh Erdene vowed to protect the spirit of the Qalai people. It is the belief of House Erdene that the fate of heart-spirit youth is vital to the endurance and the thriving heart of Qalai. In respect, admittance to the three institutions of spirit-training in the land will be granted to any and all spirited students who exhibit the discipline and dedication to become strong in their affinities. While they study, House Erdene will sponsor any youth who cannot supply payment for room and board, in the name of Qalai.

Upon receiving their Scroll of Mastery, clay-hearted practitioners will be offered positions in the crafting guild respective to their affinity in either Tsonsengei or Mangaldov, or at one of several family-helmed businesses which might utilize their individual abilities and talents. The strength of the spirit is the strength of Qalai, and all practitioners are honored to offer their gods-bestowed gifts to support their blessed homeland.

Whether their affinity lies in the rich earth of the Qalaisi lowlands and hills, in the careful mixing and painting of glaze patterns, or in the perfect revolutions of a potter’s wheel, the clay-hearted youth is surely most fortunate. With the support of their family and the favor of House Erdene, every clay-hearted youth will find prestige and honorable vocation in Qalai.


End file.
